Do you have a home security system?

[bononos]

The best home defense for working folk who are never home during the day is a grandparent with a gun.

 

[Jeeebus]

hurricane impact windows/doors +

Great Dane +

American Bulldog +

Remington 11-87 Police shotgun +

S&W M&P 9mm +

Stance of dominance.

 

[bignateyk]

How much would it cost to initially outfit a moderate sized house with a security system? Is it difficult? I'm trying to see if it's worth it (we get an insurance reduction with one iirc).

It depends what kind of system you want. I put mine in myself, and it only cost $500 for a surveillance camera, door alarms, window alarms, and glass break sensors. There's no monitoring service though.

It's probably alot more expensive to have ADT come and install a system, and then you'd have to pay a monthly fee for the monitoring service.

 

[Wyndru]

I have a system in place from twc, but mainly for fire. Basically if a smoke alarm goes off they call and email me and my wife and dispatch the FD, hopefully they can get there in time to save our cats at least.

An ADT rep told me that the TWC security is a joke, because all a thief would need to do is clip the cable line coming into the house. I don't know if it's true, but I figure any thief that comes in my house would trip over the 20 child gates we have set up before they got anywhere .

 

[sourceninja]

hurricane impact windows/doors +

Great Dane +

American Bulldog +

Remington 11-87 Police shotgun +

S&W M&P 9mm +

Stance of dominance.

a few jars of peanutbutter, a bump key, and watching your facebook to figure out when your not home.

I'm kidding

 

[spacejamz]

My home was built in 2003 and was pre-wired with an alarm system with motion sensor and window sensors. I converted over to Smith Thompson monitoring about 3 years ago.

They charge $13/month (have to pay a year at time though), but it includes a cell dialer so you don't have to worry about someone cutting the landline connection outside of your house. One little snip of the exposed cable going into your home and your internet VOIP or landline connection is gone. I forgot how much they charged for the cell dialer, maybe about $60??? I also got a fob to arm/disarm my system, but I hardly ever use it...

Been very happy with them...If I inadvertently set off my alarm (I typically set my alarm for instant on at night and sometimes I forgot to disarm in the morning when I get the paper), I receive a call within a few minutes from them.

If you want piece of mind when you are not at home, an alarm system is the way to go.

 

[sourceninja]

...
They charge $13/month (have to pay a year at time though), but it includes a cell dialer so you don't have to worry about someone cutting the landline connection outside of your house. One little snip of the exposed cable going into your home and your internet VOIP or landline connection is gone. I forgot how much they charged for the cell dialer, maybe about $60??? I also got a fob to arm/disarm my system, but I hardly ever use it...
...

http://www.**********/jammers/security-surveillance-jammer.html

not sure if someone edited out my url, but the long and the short is you can buy a cell phone jammer for CDMA/GSM for like 50 bucks.

 

[PimpJuice]

Only an idiot wouldn't have a home security system.

That said, I can safely assume that you do not have one because you're the biggest idiot on these forums.

 

[spacejamz]

http://www.**********/jammers/security-surveillance-jammer.html

not sure if someone edited out my url, but the long and the short is you can buy a cell phone jammer for CDMA/GSM for like 50 bucks.

I will take my chances on a robber not carrying one of these around hoping you have cell dialer instead of landline for your alarm...

 

[alkemyst]

alarmsystemstore.com

A gun only works when you are home, when you are not they get stolen.

I put in a DSC wired/wireless system with landline, GSM and IP communication.

Sensors on every door / window, even my workshop. Glass breaks in every room. Two fire/smoke/heat, 3 motion detectors, 3 ip cameras...

They have monitoring for like $8.95 a month and it's very good and quick.

Prior to my system I had a burglary over $30k in loss/damages.

 

[lothar]

Get an ADT sign for $15 on eBay or Amazon.
Stick one in your front yard and the other in your backyard.

That's the only home security system one needs.

 

[alkemyst]

Most know to look for the alarm permit instead.

 

[lothar]

Yes, I have a home security system, it's called great neighbors. A fox once got one of my rabbits, around midnight in the middle of the winter. I heard the loud BOOOOOM. The boom was my neighbor shooting the fox 20 feet from where it grabbed the rabbit. If you're quieter and sneakier than a fox late at night, more power to you. Hopefully you can run faster than the fox too - you might make it a good 30 or 40 feet.

I take it your rabbit didn't make it out alive?
Your neighbor shot a fox that was doing it's own work as nature intended?

 

[ManBearPig]

alarmsystemstore.com

A gun only works when you are home, when you are not they get stolen.

I put in a DSC wired/wireless system with landline, GSM and IP communication.

Sensors on every door / window, even my workshop. Glass breaks in every room. Two fire/smoke/heat, 3 motion detectors, 3 ip cameras...

They have monitoring for like $8.95 a month and it's very good and quick.

Prior to my system I had a burglary over $30k in loss/damages.

nice price, thanks. how much does it cost to set the system up though?

 

[BarkingGhostar]

The best home defense for working folk who are never home during the day is a grandparent with a gun.

You are just trying to kill gram-gram and make it so you can file a wrongful suit against the police.

Good job!

 

[alkemyst]

nice price, thanks. how much does it cost to set the system up though?

Well I went overkill and cost of equipment was under $2000, maybe $3000. But after a major loss like I had I wasn't taking chances. The sad part and it's more typical today is out of the string of burglaries here mine and others were witnessed and the people didn't want to risk involvement, many felt the crooks could find out they reported them.

They were in my home over two hours and made a couple trips back and forth knowing this.

In reality a good monitoring company and key entrances/windows covered could be done for much less than the cost of year of brinks/ADT. Keep in mind they are only usually doing two or three doors and one motion detector in a common area.

If you know someone has a system like that, a break in through a window and sticking to only that room only gets the alarm going off usually on your way out of the house and long gone by the time cops arrive.

 

[alkemyst]

Sadly as well as many people think they can shoot a man, many end up not being able to pull the trigger.

 

[luv2liv]

after 3 pages, nobody knows or suggests a DVR/cam solution?
i see some setup on newegg.com for around $200 but reliability and quality is questionable.

it would be cool if i can check the cams over the web so i can check in on the babysitter too

 

[Red Squirrel]

I've been looking at zoneminder for a camera solution, but so far it's not as impressive as I had hoped. It's just VERY flaky. And I only have one camera on it. I had lot of trouble getting it to work though. There's no yum package for it so I had to do it the long way and fight through all the dependencies.

The prebuilt PVR systems are probably the best bet, though the RCA cameras can only handle so much. Think 640x480 is the max res you can get out of them. IP cameras can give out better res. There's probably even HD ones out there. Great for getting license plates. Then again 99% of the time they'll be stealing you with a stolen vehicle, but it can at least still help the police to some extent.

 

[MotionMan]

i don't need security if no one is home
it is just stuff, you can get new stuff

The main reason we have an alarm is so that we do not walk in on a burglar. We also put in on when we are home so that a burglar does not walk in on us!

We also have dogs, but, besides barking, there is nothing protective I could see them doing.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Now that I have a system, I can't imagine living without it. I can leave my house with more piece of mind that my property, and my cat, is safe.

I grew up without an alarm system in our house. I scarcely knew what one was until I was in college.

Now I like having one (and it feels kinda odd when I stay at places that do not have one). It gives me piece of mind and, with kids, it is nice to know that I will hear it if any doors or windows open.

MotionMan

 

[MotionMan]

Most criminals are lazy. That's why they are criminals in the first place. If they case out a place and there's a 90 pound ridgeback barking and growling at them at the front door they are probably going to skip your house and move on to the next one that doesn't have a pissed off dog greeting them.

Agreed. We have the security system signs, a couple dogs at the front window and a gate around the property (the only one on the block, though it is easy to climb over).

Security systems don't prevent break ins. They simply detect. Somebody could still smash in a door or a window pop inside and grab stuff and be out in minutes. Where I'm at, I'm a good 20 minutes from any major police station. So absolute best case is 20 minutes...realistically? Probably 45 minutes or more before anyone got to my door. What's a security system going to stop there?

It is going to stop you from walking in on a burglary in progress, which is the main reason to have a system, IMO.

MotionMan

 

[FoBoT]

Sadly as well as many people think they can shoot a man, many end up not being able to pull the trigger.

i thought about this. aiming at his face or chest might be hard, so my plan is to aim at his balls
unless he's armed of course, then the middle of the chest is just fine

 

[coloumb]

I remember watching a show on discovery a few years back that was two "buglars" who would break into a house. I remember them pretty much saying if they say the signs for a protected house they would almost always just move on to the next rather than risk/deal with it. not sure how true it is but if i had my pick between two houses as a thief and one had a protected by sign I'd move to the next.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=78MwUWXJtnk

Awesome show - who knows how much of it was staged - pretty sure they purposely looked for homes which were easy to break into. A lot of it is just plain common sense - signs on the window [you could even fake a certificate if you wanted to], hiding your car keys and other valuables, etc.

 

[BurnItDwn]

Get to know the Neighbors? Do them a couple of favors? Neighbor that keeps an eye on your place is probably gonna be better vs a security system...